A group called RI-CAN enlists current and former public officials, including Jeb Bush and Andres Alonso, to keep the composition of the state's board of education and keep state schools chief Deborah Gist in her job.

Florida schools and districts face potentially big penalties for not complying with a mandate to cap class sizes, even as policymakers in other parts of the country contemplate allowing class sizes to rise.

Personnel costs—salaries and benefits—make up a huge portion of school budgets, and they're difficult to cut. At the state level, elected officials are determined to bring down the costs of pensions, in particular.

Bill Honig had been appointed to the California state board of education by new Gov. Jerry Brown, despite a past criminal conviction. Honig withdrew his name on Monday, and was replaced by Ilene Straus, an assistant school superintendent.

New California Gov. Jerry Brown is out of gate quickly on school issues, doing away with the state's secretary of education position and making appointments to the state's board of ed—which have drawn criticism.

A wave of newly elected Republican governors and lawmakers are going to work in state capitols across the country. They're seeking changes to teacher job protections, more school choice, and spending cuts.